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    Children 1st - Meet the Brains

    A visual concept and character development for a new interactive tool

    CASE STUDY
    An interactive tool and purpose-designed characters that encapsulated the inner workings of the brain

    Children 1st needed a digital agency to create something special. An interactive and unique online tool to demonstrate the differences between how a child’s brain works as opposed to an adult’s. The goal being to engage and inform parents so they could provide children with lovable and reliable relationships, with a focus on calmness to better shape brain development.

    The Project
    Creative design and character development
    The tool needed to be both interactive and engaging, utilising attractive animations to get what is a vital message across effectively. The budget was tight and the project large-scale, and it really needed to tell a story and catch the attention of parents to encourage engagement and learning. This of course also meant that high-functionality was an absolute necessity.

    It’s fair to say that we had to put our creativity hats on for this one, so our team got to brainstorming and came up with some initial ideas for the client to mull over.
    • Concept
    • Research

      Our research led us down the road of The Dot and Line, a book from 1965 which told the romance story of a dot, a straight line, and a squiggle. The client immediately bought into this concept and after further consideration within our team, we agreed it would form the perfect basis for some memorable characters.

    • Design
    • Character development

      Using the squiggly line design, we created the characters, AKA “The Brains”. The younger the character the squigglier their brain was, illustrating something that is often unkempt and a work in progress. The adult brain was well-formed, rounded, and steady, to indicate the opposite and establish the hierarchy of the conversation.

    • Meet the Brains

      The brains were created, with baby, toddler, primary school child, and teenager characters made using the design elements we agreed on. The focus was on attachment, trauma, and resilience, which we felt our characters were able to tackle head on thanks to our meticulous planning as a team and innovative approach to the character design.

    • Style and tone, colour and palette

      The colour tones, styles, and palette we went for were created around the implication of mood. With darker colours showing disconnection and chaotic brain patterns, and lighter tones connoting calmness, happiness, and balance.

    • Build
    • Umbraco

      Core concept established and characters agreed with the client, we crafted the final project design in Umbraco for ultimate interactivity and engagement. Delivered within a flexible framework in Umbraco, individual elements could be added with chosen characters developed and animated as the client required.

    • The Interface

      When it came to the interactive stages of the website, and of each child’s development, we wanted an app-like interface to encourage an immersive feel for users. The animations really needed to pop to effectively tell the story and users needed to be able to “jump around” each page to feel truly immersed.

    • Content

      With help from the client, we populated pages detailing the needs of the brains (or children) at various points in their life. Using our now-established illustrations and characters, we were able to effectively tell the story the client wanted to tell in an interactive and engaging way. The pages touched on feeling management, safety, everyday care, and love, as well as fun. We also included sections on each page relating to attachment, trauma, and resilience in each stage of childhood.

    • Services
      • Design
      • Development
      • Brand Assets
    Children 1st
    Meet the Brains
    The Results
    Well designed character animations that encapsulate a conversation between an adult and a child’s brain

    The brief was met, and the client was extremely pleased with the project. We hit all the objectives thanks to the successful collaboration between our creative and technical team members, and the outcome was a highly interactive and attractive online tool for parents to better understand and communicate with their children.

    We believe that we not only created an effective interactive tool that hit the mark from a technical and design perspective, but that we helped Children 1st make a difference in children’s lives by helping parents better understand how to communicate and therefore aid their children’s development.

    This is just another example of the high levels of creativity and collaboration we’re known for at Gecko, with digital innovation pushing forward this project to completion. It’s why 91% of our clients stick with us in the long-term, typically for five years or more, and it’s an exemplification of how we thrive under the pressure of solving digital challenges, creating something truly unique in terms of design and technology to surpass your expectations.

    Gecko Agency (Edinburgh & Chester)

    hello@wearegecko.co.uk
    t: 0131 240 3390

    t: 0131 240 3390

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